406 STRENGTH AND- WEAKNESS OF HUMAN REASON. PITH. Truly, I' can hardly grant this, Sir ; for it is a plain case, that many of these people pay all the religion they have, to some things visible or invisible, which arenot God, as the apostle says; I Cor. x. 20. The- Gentiles sacrifice to devils, and not to God. LOG. But the Gentiles of whom Paul there speaks, did not mean to do honour to mischievous beings, though the apostle is pleased to call all their gods by the name of devils. PITH. I grant they did not always mean so, though it was so in reality ; for devils were really the gods of this world, did-. is,the heathen world. But it is plain, that the ancient heathens had also their mischievous gods, their rejóveswhom they some- times worshipped for fear of their malice, as well as their good- natured gods, and they did service and sacrifice to both of them. And many, if not most of those savage American and African nations have a more awful and religious apprehension of some unseen great evil power or powers that bring calamities upon them, than they have of any wise and good being which is the Author of their blessings. And they generally pay their devo- tion and worship to these powerful malicious beings rather than they do to any other God. Self- preservation and fear are more deeply wrought into our nature, at least in the degenerate state, than gratitude and love : And if those poor ignorant creatures .had an unequal idea of 'seine good God to what they have of a malicious one, that is, a devil, vet they incline to worship the devil forfear, lest he should hurt them, much more than they are inclined to worship Cod, and give him thanks and honours for benefits received, or pray to him for what they want : for they generally take it for granted, that the great and good Being, if ever they think of such a one, will do them good from his own kind and beneficent temper : But the evil being will never do them any good, but will afflict and vex them, and will not suffer them to enjoy good things, unless they bribe and pacify.him with worship and sacrifices : But they seem to have no notion of that holy reverence and love which is due to the true God. Some of these rude nations make images for their gods : and the bulk of the people are so stupid as to pay rites of adoration to the very images they have made ; though some of the wiser sort suppose these images to be inhabited by spirits, which can do them good or harm. The travels of Europeans through the barbarous regions, which are continually published among us, and their narratives of the affitirs, sentiments, and customs of the redo and wildnations, give abundant confirmation towhat I have said upon this theme, and effectually show us how unable are mankind, with all their reason, in the, stupid, rude and unpo- lished tribes ofAfrica, or America, to find out a religion for them- selves, to search out the nature and attributes' of the true God,
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